Dear Students:
With move-in underway and fall classes beginning next Thursday, we are writing to you together, as the President of Associated Students and the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, to share some essential information to help your new academic year get off to a great start.
Later this week, we’ll be writing to provide answers to frequently asked questions about in-person classes and about campus COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
Week of Welcome & Welcome Back Activities
Week of Welcome is the time of year that we welcome back all students to the campus. It begins during move-in weekend and runs through the first weekend of the quarter. This year, Week of Welcome is unique in that we will be welcoming two cohorts of students to the UCSB campus for the first time. We understand that arriving on campus for the first time or returning to campus after 18 months raises feelings of excitement and uncertainty as students manage new routines and COVID-19 expectations that enable this return to in-person learning.
Finding Events During Week of Welcome
All students (not just new/incoming) can find Week of Welcome Events listed on Shoreline. Shoreline (shoreline.ucsb.edu or the UCSB Shoreline app on iOS and Android) is UCSB’s official co-curricular platform and lists events hosted by departments and registered campus organizations. You can find events like the Second-Year Student Lunch, tours of campus and Isla Vista, New Student Convocation (for all new undergraduates), the Fall Campus Involvement Fair and Cultural Identifies Fair, the EOP Fall Welcome Address, Rec Fest, and more!
| |
Official Class Pages
Shoreline is also home to newly launched official Class Pages (e.g., Class of 2025). You have been automatically added to your respective class and can engage with peers in these convenient class affinity spaces. Need help? Contact us at shoreline@ucsb.edu.
Find Quick, Individualized Help at Our Kiosks and from Friendly Staff
To facilitate an easier transition, we encourage students to drop by one of the “Ask Me: I’m Here to Help!” kiosks that will be staffed in multiple locations across campus and at the Pardall Center in Isla Vista. These stations will be available starting Saturday, September 18th and continue through Friday, October 1st at the Arbor, SAASB, Rec Cen, SRB, and UCen (see page 2 of the WOW and Beyond Flyer for a map and hours).
Additionally, students can expect to see many campus staff wearing “Ask Me: I’m Here to Help!” buttons to offer support to students who have questions and need help connecting with various resources or simply navigating the physical campus. Whether a student needs direction to a particular department or is searching for a building or classroom, campus staff will be there to assist them.
UCSB is a caring community of students, staff, and faculty. Do not hesitate to ask questions. We are here to help each other succeed!
Additional Resources
There is more going on to welcome students back to in-person learning than we could possibly encompass in a single email. We encourage you to review the many resources and services available to all UCSB students on the Student Affairs website, including a comprehensive list of our departments available to support our students, and to stay tuned to your university email account for additional announcements.
| |
Your Safety in Isla Vista – We Need Your Help
We are excited to be returning to in-person learning and resume many in-person co-curricular and social activities. We are concerned, though, that we are hearing from college campuses that have already begun their semesters that there are unusually high rates of serious health and safety issues occurring. We want to encourage you to please look out for yourselves and each other as a community – you have an important role in creating and preserving a positive and safe living and learning environment for our unversity community. In addition to the information we’ve shared with all students through new student orientation, required online education modules, GauchoFYI, and other programs, please see the following list of resources that are available to support your personal success and safety.
Mental health and wellbeing
The transition to college life is a big one, no matter the year. But after more than a year of remote learning and in the context of an ongoing pandemic, this is bound to be a more stressful transition for all of our community (students, staff, and faculty alike). There are many Student Wellbeing resources available to support you, from peer advising, to group counseling, to meditation and wellness programs.
Beyond just looking out for yourself, please also look out for each other. If you notice anything that has you worried about a fellow student’s wellbeing, you can submit a referral to our Student Mental Health Coordination team. One of these team members will reach out to the student to check-in and connect them with relevant resources, if desired.
Alcohol and other drugs
UCSB utilizes evidence-based, harm-reduction strategies and focuses on reducing high-risk behavior and encouraging personal and community safety and responsibility. Our Alcohol and Drug Program provides counseling, education, prevention, and recovery services that meet students where they are, without judgment.
We want to be really clear on this point: it’s been a long time since many of us have been to a party or social event and this fall, there will be an unprecedented number of students new to living independently and Isla Vista. It is critically important that you exercise caution, know your limits, and respect your own and others’ choices. We also want you to know that some students choose not to use alcohol, and there are many opportunities for these students to socialize. Shoreline is a great place to seek out activities that match your interests. The Life of the Party student organization has a website full of information and safety tips, warning signs of alcohol poisoning or drug overdose, and steps to call for emergency medical assistance. Some simple steps you can take to enhance your safety and that of our community:
- Check on someone directly (especially if they appear to be sleeping at a social event)
- Offer food
- Ask someone if they need assistance or want to go home
- Never tamper with someone else’s drink; watch your drink to ensure it is not tampered with (individually sealed drinks are generally safer than shared or mixed drinks)
- Pair up – go out with a buddy
Sexual assault prevention, consent, & healthy relationships
UCSB offers a network of support to survivors and a variety of prevention programs to stop violence and harm in our community. Everyone deserves support, and UCSB CARE offers free and confidential services for people impacted by harm.
We are clear that the responsibility for this sort of violence always lies with the perpetrator and is never the survivor's fault. We also recognize that we all have a role to play in preventing abuse and violence in our community. To promote a healthy community and to support survivors, here are some recommendations:
- practice kindness and respect
- define and express personal boundaries
- pay attention and listen to one another’s words, actions, or inactions
- check-in with your friends and express your support for them if something feels concerning
Your compassion and kindness toward others and yourself are needed now more than ever and you can make a positive difference at UCSB and in Isla Vista!
| |
We are looking forward to seeing you around campus this quarter. Welcome (back) to campus, UCSB students! We’re thrilled you’re here.
With best wishes for a successful fall quarter,
Yuval Cohen
President, Associated Students
Margaret Klawunn
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
| |
|
|
|
|
